Setting device to be operated by means
of keys destined for an adding or cal-
culating machine, a cash-register or
such-like device



July 4, 1967 F. w. RUYS 3,329,336

SETTING DEVICE To BE OPERATED BY MEANS OF KEYS DESTINED FOR AN ADDING OR CALCULATING MACHINE. A CASH-REGISTER OR sucmmm DEVICE Filed May 25, 1966 INVENTOR M ORNEYS F m WV Mil I.

United States Patent 2 Claims. (cl. 235-62) This is a continuation-impart application of my 00- pending application Ser. No. 360,392, filed Apr. 16, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a key-operated setting device for an adding or calculating machine, a cash register, a weighing machine with an adding and calculating device and the like and to a detector element wit-h feelers for the digit keys or a similar device. The invention aims at providing a setting device of this kind which otters the possibility of a rapid and reliable setting of the setting wheels thereof. The setting according to the invention is accomplished by at least one gear rack mechanism, key settable stops which define the stroke length of the gear rack mechanism corresponding to the operated key, a driving mechanism with a power source which, on operation of a key, is made operative and causes one advance and return stroke of the gear rack mechanism. The keyboard may therefore be constructed with ten keys or it may be a full keyboard.

The power source may consist of an electromotor, one or more electromagnets, a spring, a weight or similar driving means or a combination thereof.

The stops for the keys may be constructed in various Ways as is usual in the conventional adding and calculating machines. A preferred embodiment for the stops comprises plates arranged in the frame and settable by the keys, the plates being provided with notches or recesses with which a stop coupled with the gear rack mechanism cooperates.

The setting device preferably comprises at least one intermediate toothed wheel adapted to be coupled with the setting wheels, the intermediate toothed wheel cooperating with the gear rack mechanism. The setting wheels are preferably transversely displaceable relative to the gear rack mechanism or an intermediate toothed wheel or vice versa. The setting wheels may also be directly driven by the gear racks of the gear rack mechanism.

The gear rack mechanism may have one single gear rack. However, such a gear rack has to perform a large stroke. This maybe avoided, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in that the gear rack mechanism comprises two gear racks which enable the driven pinion to be set in two senses of rotation along the shortest way. The stops are adapted for settings of the driven pinion over half or approximately half of the steps required for the setting. Additional means are provided which are adapted, after a key has been pressed down, to render only that gear rack operative which belongs to the driving sense of the driven pinion belonging to the required setting. As a consequence of the above, a shorter stroke is thus obtained, the average setting is considerably reduced and a more uniform operation of the device is obtained. Moreover, the stroke length may be reduced by having the two gear racks set the pinion in one sense of rotation with a double setting, one gear rack upon its advance stroke and the other gear rack upon its return stroke. A combination of the ,two systems, one being a rotation in two senses along the shortest way, the other a rotation in one sense with a double setting, results in a further reduction of the stroke length.

3,329,336 Patented July 4, 1967 As an additional means for rendering only one gear rack operative, an additional transversely shiftable plate with recesses may be utilized. This plate may be shifted by part of the keys in one direction and by another part of the keys in the other direction and which, in each of the two shifted positions, allows only one of the two gear racks to perform an operative stroke.

According to the invention, it is in particular possible to arrange both gear racks, with teeth facing each other, fixedly mounted relative to each other in a frame to be actuated by the driving means, the gear racks being adapted to engage a single pinion on both sides thereof. The additional means are adapted to cause such a displacement of the frame relative to the pinion transversely to the driving direction that only one of the two gear racks may engage said pinion. The operative gear rack may thereby engage the corresponding pinion during movement in one direction and in the opposite direction may move free from the pinion. A setting carriage in which the setting wheels have been mounted may then move, during the return stroke of the gear rack mechanism, to its next decimal position which results in saving of time. If one gear rack of the frame is made to engage the pinion on movement in one direction and the other gear rack on movement in the opposite direction and if for the even and odd digits two separate frames are employed, then the stroke length of a frame is still further reduced.

According to a preferred embodiment driving of the gear racks may be effected via a lever system of which one or more parts bear under the influence of a spring against a corresponding cam revolved by a driving means. This may be accomplished in such manner that, upon a revolution of the cam, the gear rack is driven by the spring force in one direction until the rack is stopped by an operative stop or by the additional plate means, after which, on return of the cam, the rack is moved back in the opposite direction to its initial position.

Vertical movement of the rack, in order to bring it into or out of engagement with the pinion, may be effected by means of a second lever system cooperating with a second cam which is fixedly connected with the first cam.

The additional plate means may also comprise a lever system adapted to be moved by part of the keys in one direction and by another part of the key in the other direction, the lever system effecting a transverse movement of the gear rack system so that only one of the gear racks engages the pinion. Naturally also other embodiments may be conceived.

The means for accomplishing the foregoing objects and other advantages, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the following specification and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings dealing with a basic embodiment of the present invention. Reference is made now to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective of the principal parts of the inventive setting device, and I FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical presentation of the stops to be formed in the stop plates coupled with the keys for obtaining the various required settings.

In the drawings only those parts of the setting device of an adding or calculating machine, a cash register, a weighing device or similar device are shown which are necessary for a clear understanding of the invention.

The setting device shown comprises a pinion 1 which is mounted, together with an intermediate toothed wheel 2, on a shaft 3. The pinion and wheel may also be coupled in any other convenient way. The pinion 1 may be driven in two directions of rotation by means of a gear rack mechanism consisting of two gear racks 4 and 5. These gear racks have been provided in a gear rack frame 6 which is movable transversely to the pinion thereby driving the latter. The gear rack frame 6 is guided by guiding pins '7 and 8 which are provided with bushings 7' and 8.

The device further comprises a shaft 19 to be driven by a motor 9 or some other driving means. The shaft is adapted to make one revolution starting from the position as shown. The shaft 1i) carries a cam 11 against which a cam follower 12 of a bell crank 13 bears. A tension spring 14 acting on a lever 15, one end of which is connected to bell crank 13, draws the pin 12 against the cam 11; the pin follows the cam until a stop projection 16 of the lever 15 is stopped. The lever 15 is provided with a guide 17 and is coupled via a sliding connection 18 with the frame 6, the connection allowing movement of the frame 6 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the gear rack during an operational stroke with respect to the pinion 1.

In the position as shown, the gear racks are not in engagement with the pinion 1. However, by moving the pins 7 and 8 upwards or downwards either gear rack 4 or may be brought into engagement with the pinion so that only one of the gear racks is operative at any instant. The pins 7 and 8 are arranged on bell cranks 19 and 2t), respectively, the bell cranks being substantially identical and being connected for simultaneous movement by a coupling rod 21. The bell crank 19 has an extension beyond the pivot point 19 in alignment with the pin 7. Catch pins 22 and 23 are symmetrically arranged on the bell crank 19 relative to the pivot point 19'. Between these two pins and adjacent to the bell crank 19 a selector arm 24 is mounted. The selector arm 24 is coupled with a spring loaded bell crank 25, the bell crank being in engagement with a cam 26. This cam, together with the cam 11, is driven by the shaft as previously stated. If the selector arm 24 is moved aside by rod 27, one of its notches engages one of the pins 22 or 23 so that the bell crank 19 is coupled with the selector arm 24 and thus with the cam 26. Depending upon which pin is in engagement with the selector arm, a rotation of the shaft lltl by moving the bell cranks 19 and 20, will cause the gear rack frame 6 to be moved in an upward or downward direction.

The rod 27 is connected with a bell crank 28 of which the other arm is located between two parallel rods 29 and 30. If the rod 29 is moved in a downward direction, the selector arm 24 is brought into engagement with the pin 22 so that gear rack 4 engages the pinion 1. If the rod 30 is moved upwards, the selector arm engages the pin 23 so that the gear rack 5 becomes operative. The parallel rods 29 and 30 are mounted between a pair of spaced assemblies 51 and 52 which are pivotally mounted about pivot points 53. Assembly 51 comprises a member 5117 having an arm with pin 51a mounted thereon and a like member 54 having a pin 54a mounted thereon. Assembly 52 comprises a pair of members similar to 51b and 54 but without arms or pins. A rod 31 is mounted between member 51b and part of assembly 52 so as to be parallel to rods 29 and 30. The drawings show one key with a key stem 32 comprising a nose 33 adapted to engage the rod 31. A second key 32' has been shown in phantom with a nose adapted to engage rod 29. Some of the keys, for example, corresponding with the values 0-4, are provided with nose for contacting rod 31; the remaining keys have a similar nose which will cooperate with the rod 29. Thus, when a key of the first group is pushed down the gear rack 5 and in the case of the other group, the gear rack 4 will be put into operation.

On an extension of the key stem 32, a wedge 34 is provided adapted to shift the selector plates 35 upon the key being pressed down; several of these selector plates have been shown arranged one above the other. A wedge 34 is provided on the left or the right of the key stem and the appropriate plate will therefore be shifted to the left or to the right. The plates 35 are provided with recesses 35a of such shape that, upon shifting of one of them towards the left or towards the right, the jointly produced 2,1. passage has a different depth. The stop projection 16 can penetrate into the recesses until a portion of the recess forming the lowermost stop impedes a further movement. FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically how three plates of different depths may be formed.

When a key 32 is pressed down, selector arm 24 is set and one of the selector plates 35 is shifted. The selector arm determines which gear rack becomes operative while the selector plate defines the stroke length of the rack movement. At the same time the driving system of the shaft 19 is put into operation whereby the cams 11 and 26 make one revolution. These cams are coupled with each other in such manner that, at the beginning of the first half of the revolution of the shaft lift, the gear rack frame 6 is moved upwards or downwards; it is thereafter moved laterally by the spring 14 until the stop projection 16 is stopped whereupon the cam 11 may rotate under the pin 12. At the beginning of the second half of the revolution the gear rack frame 6 is again brought into the free position shown and returned to the initial position by the cam 11. By means of a cam (not shown) on the shaft 3, a lock for the pinion ll may be operated. During the idle return also a step mechanism may be rendered operative for moving the register carriage stepwise in a direction parallel to the shaft 3. This stepwise movement may be effected during the resetting to zero of the gear rack frame which is effected with the pinion 1 at a standstill.

The setting wheels 36 are successively set by the intermediate toothed wheel 2 and can thereafter be brought into cooperation with the total wheels 37 to transfer the values set to the total wheels 37 in a manner such as described in U.S. Patent 1,832,791 to Rudin.

The motor 9 is continuously driven. A U-shaped member 38a is slidably mounted on the shaft 10, one leg 38 forming one part of a coupling. The U-shaped member 3811 is influenced by a spring 39 arranged between the other leg 47 and a cam 49 arranged on the shaft 10. A U-shaped clip 40 is pivotally attached to a sleeve 40a mounted on the shaft 1d between the legs of member 38a. The clip 40 has a finger 41 having sufficient length for engaging behind a hook 42 on one end of a spring-loaded rod system 43 provided that the other end with a fork having tines 43a and 43b.

When a key 32 is pressed down, pin 51a on arm 51b comes into contact with the end of the tine 43a or a pin 54a on arm 54 comes into contact with the end of the tine 43b. The rod 43 is then shifted and the hook 42 releases the finger 41. The rod 43 is provided with a spring bias which brings the rod back to its initial position as soon as the key moves upwards.

As soon as the hook 42 releases the finger 41, the spring 39 moves the U-shaped member 38a until the leg 33 is coupled with the second part 44 of the coupling, the latter being fixedly secured to a pulley 45. The clip 40 includes a cam 46 hearing against the leg 47 of the U-shaped member 38a. At the end of one revolution the finger 41 comes into contact with the hook 42 of the rod system 43 to cause the U-shaped member to be shifted on the shaft 10 until the coupling part 38 is disengaged from the coupling part 44. The spring 39 is thereby tensioned.

The rod 50 and rod 43, having a pin 48 fixedly mounted thereon, serve for locking and unlocking the plates 35. This may be done in any way known per se.

Within the scope of the invention, many modifications are possible. Instead of a gear rack frame, separate gear racks may be employed. Further, an additional selector plate may be utilized which may release either or only one of the racks which then engages the pinion. Naturally also other key mechanisms are possible. If it is not necessary to uncouple the racks at the return movement, no transverse movement of the racks need be provided for. Also other other gear rack mechanisms known per se may be utilized. Naturally it is also possible to move the pinion in an axial direction or transversely thereto, depending on the construction and arrangement of the gear racks, in order to bring it into engagement with one of the two gear racks. Instead of the described coupling, some other couplings known per se may be employed. For the driving it is also possible to make use of one or more electromagnets or of some other driving system known per se.

Finally, it is to be noted that in some cases it may be preferable to utilize one single gear rack with ten or more teeth, but to uncouple the same during advance or return rotation of the pinion as described in the preceding text. However, all these constructions will be obvious for one skilled in the art so that they need not be described more in detail.

What is claimed is:

1. A key operated setting device for use in calculating machines and the like comprising a plurality of operating keys, a single rack mechanism common to all keys, the stroke length of said mechanism representing numerical values, means for limiting the stroke length of said rack mechanism, said limiting means being adjusted by actuation of each operating key, a driving mechanism operatively connected to said rack mechanism, each actuation of a key energizing said driving mechanism to advance and retract said rack mechanism through one complete stroke, said driving mechanism comprising a driven shaft, a cam mounted on said shaft, a bell crank, one end of which operatively contacts said cam, a lever connected to the other end of said bell crank, spring means connected to said lever so that said bell crank always contacts said cam, means connecting said lever to said gear rack whereby upon revolution of the cam the gear rack is driven in one direction until the rack is stopped by said limiting means after which on return of the cam the rack is moved back in the opposite direction to its initial position.

2. A key operated device for use in calculating machines and the like comprising a plurality of operating keys, a single rack mechanism common to all keys, the stroke length of said rack mechanism representing numerical values, means for limiting the stroke length of said rack mechanism, said limiting means being adjusted by actuation of each operating key, a driving mechanism operatively connected to said rack mechanism, each actuation of a key energizing said driving mechanism to advance and retract said rack mechanism through one complete stroke, said rack mechanism comprising two gear racks which enable the driven pinion to be set in two senses of rotation along the shortest way, the limiting means being adapted for setting of a driven pinion over approximately half the steps required for setting, gear rack selecting means, said selecting means being adapted, after a key has been pressed down, to render only that rack operative which belongs to the driving sense of the driven pinion for the required setting, each said gear rack comprising two rows of teeth facing one another, said rows of teeth being fixedly arranged relatively to each other in a frame actuated by the power source, said teeth being adapted to engage the driven pinion On both sides thereof, said selecting means causing such displacement of the frame relative to the pinion transversely in the driving direction that only one of the two rows of teeth may engage said pinion at any time, the operative row of teeth engaging said pinion only during the movement in one direction and moving freely from the pinion in the opposite direction, a second cam on said driven shaft, a second bell crank having one end spring biased against said second cam, selector means connected to the other end of said bell crank, means operatively connecting said selector means to said keys, means operatively connecting said selector means to said gear rack whereby when a key is actuated, said selector means will move said gear rack in the appropriate direction to engage said driven pinion.

3. A key operated setting device for use in calculating machines and the like comprising a ten-key keyboard, a totalizer and a single gear rack mechanism common to all keys and serving for transferring data to said totalizer, said rack mechanism having at least one rack section, stops settable by the keys cooperating with said gear rack mechanism to define the stroke length of said gear rack mechanism corresponding to the operated key, said stroke length representing a numerical value, a driving mechanism operatively connected to said rack mechanism and a power source, each actuation of a key, making operative said driving mechanism, to provide for one advance and one return stroke of the gear rack mechanism.

4. A key operated setting device for use in calculating machines and the like comprising a ten-key keyboard, a

totalizer and a single gear rack mechanism common to all keys and serving for transferring data to said totalizer, said rack mechanism having at least one rack section, stops settable by the keys and cooperating with said gear rack mechanism to define the stroke length of said gear rack mechanism corresponding to the operated key, said stroke representing numeral values, a driving mechanism operatively connected to said rack mechanism and with a power source, each actuation of a key making operative said driving mechanism to provide for one advance and one return stroke of said gear rack mechanism, said stops consisting of a plurality of plates, each of said plates being adjustable by the keys into at least two positions, said plate being movably arranged in a frame, each of said plates having therein notches of varying depth, said plates being adjusted to align the notches in varying relationship thereby controlling the stroke length of said rack mechanism.

5. A key operated setting device according to claim 4 further comprising at least one setting pinion operatively connectable with total wheels of a calculating machine, and a driven pinion operatively connected with said gear rack mechanism and with at least one intermediate toothed wheel driving the setting pinion.

6. A key operated setting device according to claim 4 in which the gear rack mechanism comprises two gear rack sections which enable the driven pinion to be set in two senses of rotation, the stops being adapted for setting of the driven pinion over approximately half of the steps required for setting, gear rack selecting means which are adapted, after a key has been pressed down, to render only that gear rack section operative which belongs to the driving sense of the driven pinion belongin g to the required setting.

7. A key operated setting device according to claim 4 in which the gear rack mechanism comprises two gear rack sections with teeth facing each other, said gear rack sections being fixedly arranged relative to each other in a frame to be actuated by the power source and being adapted to engage the drive pinion on both sides thereof, said gear rack selecting means causing such a displacement of the frame relative to the pinion transversely to the driving direction so that only one of the two gear racks may engage said pinion, the operative gear rack section engaging the pinion only during movement in one sense and moving freely from the pinion in the opposite sense.

8. A key operated setting device according to claim 4 further comprising additional means for rendering the gear rack mechanism cooperative comprising an additional plate having notches therein, a first means on said keys for shifting said plate in one direction, a second means on said keys for shifting said additional plate in the other direction, means operatively connecting said additional plate with said gear rack mechanism whereby with each shift of position of said additional plate only one row of teeth of said gear rack mechanism may carry out an operative stroke.

9. A key operated setting device according to claim 4 in which the driven shaft is coupled with a second shaft, said second shaft being driven by a continuously driven motor via a selectively engageable coupling which is coupled when actuating a key.

10. A key operated setting device for use in calculating machines and the like comprising a ten-key keyboard, a totalizer and a single gear rack mechanism common to all keys and serving for transferring data to said totalizer, said gear rack mechanism having at least one rack section, means operatively connected to said gear rack mechanism and actuated by said keys so that only one rack section may carry out an operative stroke, stop means settable by the keys cooperating with said gear rack mechanism to define the stroke length of said gear rack mechanism corresponding to the operated key, said stroke length representing a numerical value, a driving mechanism operatively connected to said rack mechanism, said driving mechanism comprising a continuously driven motor, said motor being coupled through a coupling to a driven shaft, said coupling being coupled when a key is actuated to provide for one advance and one return stroke of the gear rack mechanism, said stop means consisting of a plurality of plates, each of said plates being adjustable by the keys into at least two positions, said plates being movably arranged in a frame, each of said plates having therein notches of varying depth, said plates being adjusted to align the notches in varying relationship thereby controlling the stroke length of said rack mechanism.

No references cited.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY A. WAL, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A KEY OPERATED DEVICE FOR USE IN CALCULATING MACHINES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF OPERATING KEYS, A SINGLE RACK MECHANISM COMMON TO ALL KEYS, THE STROKE LENGTH OF SAID RACK MECHANISM REPRESENTING NUMERICAL VALUES, MEANS FOR LIMITING THE STROKE LENGTH OF SAID RACK MECHANISM, SAID LIMITING MEANS BEING ADJUSTED BY ACTUATION OF EACH OPERATING KEY, A DRIVING MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID RACK MECHANISM, EACH ACTUATION OF A KEY ENERGIZING SAID DRIVING MECHANISM TO ADVANCE AND RETRACT SAID RACK MECHANISM THROUGH ONE COMPLETE STROKE, SAID RACK MECHANISM COMPRISING TWO GEAR RACKS WHICH ENABLE THE DRIVEN PINION TO BE SET IN TWO SENSES OF ROTATION ALONG THE SHORTEST WAY, THE LIMITING MEANS BEING ADAPTED FOR SETTING OF A DRIVEN PINION OVER APPROXIMATELY HALF THE STEPS REQUIRED FOR SETTING, GEAR RACK SELECTING MEANS, SAID SELECTING MEANS BEING ADAPTED, AFTER A KEY HAS BEEN PRESSED DOWN, TO RENDER ONLY THAT RACK OPERATIVE WHICH BELONGS TO THE DRIVING SENSE OF THE DRIVEN PINION FOR THE REQUIRED SETING, EACH SAID GEAR RACK COMPRISING TWO ROWS OF TEETH FACING ONE ANOTHER, SAID ROWS OF TEETH BEING FIXEDLY ARRANGED RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER IN A FRAME ACTUATED BY THE POWER SOURCE, SAID TEETH BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE DRIVEN PINION ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF, SAID SELECTING MEANS CAUSING SUCH DISPLACEMENT OF THE FRAME RELATIVE TO THE PINION TRANSVERSELY IN THE DRIVING DIRECTION THAT ONLY ONE OF THE TWO ROWS OF TEETH MAY ENGAGE SAID PINION AT ANY TIME, THE OPERATIVE ROW OF TEETH ENGAGING SAID PINION ONLY DURING THE MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION AND MOVING FREELY FROM THE PINION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, A SECOND CAM ON SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, A SECOND BELL CRANK HAVING ONE END SPRING BIASED AGAINST SAID SECOND CAM, SELECTOR MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID BELL CRANK, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID SELECTOR MEANS TO SAID KEYS, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID SELECTOR MEANS TO SAID GEAR RACK WHEREBY WHEN A KEY IS ACTUATED, SAID SELECTOR MEANS WILL MOVE SAID GEAR RACK IN THE APPROPRIATE DIRECTION TO ENGAGE SAID DRIVEN PINION. 